The present invention relates to support systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a support system for securing elongate objects, such as electrical wires, tubes, and hoses.
Many types of mounting devices have been developed over the years for holding one or more elongate objects to a support. One of the more popular devices for use in vehicles, including automobiles and airplanes, has been the “P” clamp. The P-clamp includes a metal strap formed into a generally circular portion with each end of the strap terminating in a flat foot portion. After elongate objects are encircled by the circular portion, the feet are overlapped until apertures in the feet are aligned to receive a threaded fastener. Unfortunately, P-clamps suffer from numerous disadvantages. Foremost, P-clamps are generally not adjustable so that when they are used in an environment where different sizes of bundles have to be accommodated, a large inventory of different sized P-clamps must be maintained. Also, it is difficult to achieve a predetermined tension on the held objects, and thus it is sometimes necessary to use additional fillers or spacers to encircle the objects to provide consistent compressive forces. The P-clamp has changed very little over the years, which is surprising considering the various problems associated with use. Most assemblers agree that the installation of these clamps is difficult because of their stiffness. Furthermore, the use of commercially available P-clamps on electrical cables is complicated by the fact that electrical cable diameter dimensions are not tightly controlled and that cables have soft, irregular cross-sections which can be damaged by excessive force caused by securing with a P-clamp. Accordingly, current methods of fastening wires, tubes, and hoses to an aircraft or other structure involve the use of thousands of individual parts that are only slightly different from one another. This creates a huge inventory of parts and drawings. If a fit problem occurs during installation, the parts must be swapped pursuant to existing engineering guidelines, or corrective action paperwork must be generated to address the discrepancy, thus creating more unique parts and drawings.
Tie straps, also referred to as cable ties, have been widely used for bundling wires, and for securing such wires to a support. The tie strap structure includes a flexible tie for circling a bundle and a buckle at one end of the tie to lock the tie strap structure into a loop. Various mounts have been developed for securing the tie strap and bundle of wires to a support. The mounts include one or more windows or slots for receiving one end of the tie strap, which is then looped back upon itself to be attached by the tie strap's buckle. The mounts are then affixed to a support surface by threaded fasteners or adhesive.
Advantageously, tie straps have adjustable diameters to accommodate bundles having a wide variety of diameters. Accordingly, such fasteners typically do not require fillers to provide consistent compressive forces upon objects to be bundled. Unfortunately, presently available mounts for tie straps require that both sides of the mount be accessible for entry and exit of the strap. Further, such mounts require the additional component of an adhesive or of a threaded fastener to secure the mount to a support surface, thereby requiring that an additional inventory of components be maintained.
Certain improvements have been made to secure elongate objects using tie straps. For example, co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/210,578, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, describes a ring-post fastener providing a ring having a plurality of radially extending spokes that define a corresponding number of slots therebetween. The plurality of slots are sized for receipt and passage of a conventional tie strap. While such improvements provide welcome advantages over conventionally available fasteners, such as P-clamps, further improvements can be made. In particular, there is a need for a robust support system for securing wires, tubes, and the like over long distances, such as in the raceways, main runs, and crowns of an aircraft. There is also a need for a universal or featureless support system that is capable of securing wires, tubes and hoses of varying diameters. Furthermore, there is a need for a support system that reduces inventory, assembly time, and installation time.